Which is the best credit card in India with no annual fee or no joining fee?

I am a beginner looking for my first credit card. I have a decent salary and want to try a free credit card or a no annual fee credit card initially. So, can anyone suggest a credit card without any annual fee or joining fee and some good rewards and benefits as well. I searched but got confused as which one is the best? I have also heard that having too many credit cards can hamper our credit score. So, I wish to get a good credit card in the first try only.

Hi, I think ICICI Platinum Chip credit card can be a good choice. This is a no annual fee card with some good benefits like shopping discounts, payback points and fuel surcharge waiver etc. Overall this is a decent card to start with as a beginner. But, it has basic and limited benefits only. So, if you wish to enjoy some additional privileges you can checkout Standard Chartered Platinum Rewards card. This was free till recent but now I think they charge a nominal fee of Rs.250 only. You should select a credit card as per your own requirements.
You are right, having too many credit cards can impact your credit score. As far as you remain regular in paying bills then it shall positively affect your credit score.

Hi, You can try Citibank Rewards card. There is an annual fee waiver option if your expenses exceed Rs.30k in a year. So, you can turn this to your advantage. You also earn good reward points, some shopping offers and restaurant discounts are also available on this card. Rest, its my personal view, this suited my needs.

Yes, having too many credit cards and not paying credit card bills on time can hamper your credit score. It's better to stick to 1-2 cards based on your primary usage. I too started with a free credit card. Standard Chartered Platinum Rewards was my first choice. When I applied, they did not charge me any fee. I am not sure if they charge anything to new card applicants.

Hi Manav, Why don't you try HSBC Visa Platinum Credit card? It has zero joining and annual fees. You also get cashback upto 10% and some discounts also. There are 3x rewards on dining, hotels and telecom. I have been using this card. This seems to be a decent choice.

I too use Citibank rewards card. I got this card in previous year. This is a good card as per my personal experience. I get quite good discounts from time to time on this. My annual expenses exceeds 30k so can benefit from fee waiver as well.

For me Standard Chartered rewards card proved good. This suited my personal needs. I didn't get too high credit limit. But, I am not a frequent credit card user. So, that doesn't matter much. Got good feedback from my friends on this card. That's the main reason I opted this one.

Do checkout Standard Chartered credit cards. StanC Platinum Rewards was free when I applied. There is Super Value Titanium credit card also that has decent features. They are good for beginners and you can get one easily.

These are two good options where you do not need to pay any annual fee or joining fee.
In these credit cards you get to earn 2 Reward Points on every ₹100 spent in Canara and 2 Reward Points for each ₹150 spent on every retail purchase in HDFC Credit Card respectively.

Other than that there is Zero Lost Card liability post reporting of the loss of card. Also, if you go for Canara Bank Credit Card than you have Zero Lost card liability cover from the time of authentic information of loss of card to the bank customer care. You also have savings on fuel and airport Lounges.

@aggarwalshipra Thanks for clarifying I read somewhere that a one-time fee of Rs.250 i.e.some issuance charge needs to paid. Is it different from joining fee? What it is exactly? Is Canara Global Gold Card really a good option for a beginner? I don't wish to keep too many credit cards since that affects our credit score. I want to have only one credit card that too a decent one, free with good discounts and rewards.

@aggarwalshipra Yes, HDFC Visa Signature card is a good choice. It offers 1% fuel surcharge waiver also. If you spend Rs.15k within 90 days then the first year fee gets waived off and if you spend Rs.75k p.a. then you get renewal fee reversed. Right.

Hi Manav,
To sum up, as per views from different users here. We got a useful list of best credit cards in India with no annual fee or no joining fee:

ICICI Platinum Chip credit card

Standard Chartered Platinum credit card

HSBC Visa Platinum credit card

Citibank Rewards credit card

Canara Gold credit card

HDFC Visa Signature credit card

Hey, I just compiled what others have pointed out in this discussion on free credit cards. Before applying for any of them just check whether they are actually free. Know the benefits before you shortlist a good credit card for yourself.

@stephbaker Hi, can you tell more about SBI cards? I am a salaried person. I am planning to apply for one of the SBI card. My preference is a free credit card only. This is my first credit card so don't want to bear additional burden of monthly card fee or other charges. Thanks in advance!

It is not the number of credit cards you have that improves your credit score. It depends on your usage. You need to take care of cash advances, late payments, paying total amount due before the due, etc. All of this will help in improving your credit score

@Smart-Investor I wonder how many such more credit cards will be launched Paytm First credit card then this one Ola money SBI credit card, now which is next? The list of credit cards in India is just increasing day by day.

@jatinderchd Hi, the RBL Platinum Maxima Credit card seems quite useful and the rewards programme is great. But, the membership fee of Rs.2000 is bit higher for me. I was looking for a card that has lesser joining fee and gives good reward points also. Can anyone suggest a good rewards credit card?

Thank you for telling the main differences between a credit and debit card. Most of the people dont know about the difference between them. This article can help them to understand the uses of credit and debit cards. They might use the credit card more often now as it helps to pay the payment more easily.

@Ishu A good credit card. I will surely apply for this one soon. I am a regular paytm user and find their services really good. I’ll surely try this new Paytm First credit card and share my feedback on it

@KP_Trader Hey, that seems to be a cool idea! But, is it practically possible to keep the credit utilization ratio below 30% for that matter? I mean, in such a high cost of living, growing prices of products, our rising utility bills, is it really manageable to use lesser credit options?
The salary credited to my account is just spent on paying EMIs and some other normal costs. So, I have to rely on my credit card to pay other bills and fees. I pay my bills on time.
But, I am still struggling to get that perfect credit score since the past few months. I really wonder how people just manage to have a high credit score. Any ideas for it.

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